[...] Sales of tequila increased 7.4 percent last year, according to data from the research firm IWSR, outpacing virtually every other hard liquor category. Upscale brands have shown the most growth, according to the Distilled Spirits Council, with sales of “high-end” brands rising 292 percent from 2002 to 2016 and “super-premium” brands climbing 706 percent during that period.